I took my family to Stratford in East London this week and we were lucky enough to witness an historic Olympic moment. No, I’m not talking about 19-year-old Jade Jones winning a gold in Taekwondo. The event we saw was only an 800m heat and the athlete in question came last.
I’m referring to Sarah Attar, the first women’s track athlete to compete for Saudi Arabia in the Olympics. As the crossed the finish line wearing an Islamic headscarf, the stadium rose as one to give her a standing ovation.
It was a fitting tribute to a young woman whose mere presence at these Games will have huge repercussions in her ultra-conservative country. She may have trailed a full lap behind all the other competitors, but she took great strides forward on behalf of women in Saudi Arabia. (To read more, click here.)
